Through The Barrier: Isle Of The Lost One-Shots
by LiliacSkies
Summary: A collection of lighthearted one-shots based on little unanswered questions from the movies. How did Harry and Mal meet? What was Cruella like as a mother? What about the other VKs? What are their stories? (PROMPTS ARE OPEN)


**1: When Harry Met Mal(ly)**

At the young age of eleven, Maleficent's daughter was the talk of the Isle. Always had been, and always would be. For a villain such as _Maleficent_ to have a child? It wasn't unheard of, but it was rare, especially with the certainty that if the barrier were to ever break, the child would have just as much power as Maleficent herself.

How did she do it? Well, Mal prided herself in never _ever _letting a single soul close to her. Her mother had taught her that love was weakness, that there was no such thing as _friendships _on the Isle, and that the most you should ever trust anyone is not at all. Mal was more than content living like this, with no friends but with a glare that could send Jafar running the other way. At the young age of twelve, she was terrorising young children in the marketplace, watching them cower in fear as she stole whatever food they'd scavenged that day.

Mal kept to herself and herself only, spending days learning how to be _exactly_ like Maleficent. However, she did have _one _soft spot.

On the far corner of the Isle, if you dared venture past the Haunted Marsh and through the Dreary Forests, you'd find a little corner of the coast overlooking the sea. If you leant out over the rocky hills far enough, you might be able to catch a glimpse of Auradon, forever shielded by the barrier hanging above the Isle like a death sentence (when really, it was worse). The coast was riddled with garbage and sharp rocks, but the cliffside was flat and solid enough for Mal to sit on, her legs dangling dangerously over the sea, like a little private thrill.

She couldn't swim. Not by choice, but by circumstance. Her mother found it useless, considering they lived in the middle of the Isle, and if they were ever to, Maleficent could easily teleport them away in a cloud of green smoke. Regardless, Mal found a certain peacefulness about the sea. Within the barrier, the waves were constantly violent and sharp, crashing against the cliff face threateningly in an explosion of murky grey. However, beyond the barrier, the sea was as clear as the blue sky above it, with gentle ripples at its surface. Mal longed to feel the embrace of the warm Auradon sea (because it _had to be warm_ with all the sunlight out there), but she'd never admit that to anyone.

The Cliff was a good hour run from her house, and so Mal only got to visit her special spot when her mother wouldn't question her whereabouts. Sometimes, she got up at the brink of sunrise and rushed to her special spot before her mother could wake. She'd begun keeping scraps of fabric and half-eaten cereal bars in a torn backpack by the cliffside to keep her warm and somewhat fed. She never _dared_ to leave her sketches there. They were far too valuable to be anywhere but in her jacket pocket, crumpled and old, but _safe._

Because that was what Mal used The Cliff for; to sketch. She used the peaceful desolation of The Cliff to sketch and draw a better world; a place where she didn't have to hide from her mother or watch her back every other moment of the day. She used her sketches to plot and graph a better life; for the day her and her mother would take over Auradon.

She'd leave this Isle one day, and rule alongside her mother as equals. But for now, she had The Cliff, and that was enough.

It was a particularly murky Wednesday morning when Mal had ventured to The Cliff, her legs dangling dangerously as she doodled the morning away. She'd begun a sketch of her mothers castle before the Isle had turned it into ruins. She imagined her bedroom would've been in one of the tallest towers, with a window overlooking the Moors surrounding it, and just beyond the Moors, she'd be able to see the remnants of the kingdoms she'd destroyed with her mother. Her room would've been purple, of course, with green curtains and green blankets, and a big gargoyle on the top of the turret. The castle would've been covered in thorns, and there would always be a single raven flying around it, a trusty guard to Maleficent.

Mal was halfway through shading the castle walls when, suddenly, she heard rustling coming from the Dreary Forest edge behind her. She froze, her pencil pushing into the paper dangerously, nearly creating a hole. Mal spun her head around, watching as the rustling happened again. It was still a little far away, but Mal wasn't known to take chances.

She sprung to her feet, tucking her drawing away in the inside of her jacket. Making sure she was nowhere near the edge of the cliff, she stared at the forest warily, squinting to meticulously watch for any sign of movement. If her mother had found her… Well, she may as well jump off the cliff herself.

The rustling came again, only this time it was closer. Despite being called the Dreary Forest, the trees were surprisingly densely packed and surprisingly evergreen, despite the ugly moss and rotting trunks. It was hard to wade through it, nevertheless _see_ through it.

Mal reached for the pocket on the right side of her jacket, the most concealed one. She slowly drew out a small chipped silver dagger, the handle barely staying together despite the copious amount of tape used. Mal took slow steps towards the forest, making sure she was absolutely silent. She held her breath as she caught sight of something dark red, resembling the colour of blood but not quite as rich.

Suddenly, a boy tumbled out of the forest and crashed onto the dry grass a few meters in front of Mal. He was wearing a dark red coat, falling all the way down to his feet. The sleeves were long and matted, the oversized garment covering him nearly entirely from Mal's view. He was out of breath, seemingly confused as he groaned in pain, clutching his ankle.

"Bloody hell," the boy hissed with a thick accent, grabbing at his ankle, "That place is a death trap."

"And you are?"

The boy sat up at the sound of the girls voice, Mal staring him down with her dagger pointed at him menacingly. She immediately noted the rusted clothes hanger hood he clutched in his left hand, as well as a matted old pirate hat that sat precariously on top of his head. His hair was dark and shaggy, mostly concealed by his hat, but was _truly _scared Mal about the boy was the clear instability in his eyes. He had an air of pure _crazy, _only rivalled by Cruella.

Mal wasn't sure that she liked it.

The boy grinned, and Mal felt like jumping off the cliff wasn't an entirely _bad_ idea, "Ooh! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I asked first," Mal snapped, hoping her eyes were glowing like her mother had taught her to do, "And this is where you answer."

"Feisty; I like it. Nearly like a dragon," the boy mused, clicking his fingers as if in realisation, "You must be Maleficent's daughter."

"Doesn't answer my question," Mal retorted immediately, "But now that you know who I am, you might want to think twice about what you say next."

"Harry Hook," the boy replied cockily, "Son of Captain Hook, in case it wasn't clear."

"And what are you doing on this side of the Isle?"

"I should be asking _you_ that," Harry replied cheekily, hobbling back up to his feet with a hiss, "You see, _I _was sent out to find some more fishing bait in the forest and got lost on the way back. But I bet that _you_ are a good while away from home, aren't 'cha?"

"I was scoping out new territory," Mal lied smoothly, watching the injured boy with a skeptical eye, "So _leave."_

"Not so fast," Harry teased, "Maleficent would never scope out a place so close to the Pirates Cove. Not only that, but why would she send _you_ and not one of her goons?"

"Because I actually have a brain," Mal scoffed, "Now bugger off."

Harry rolled his eyes playfully, "Relax. I couldn't hurt you if I tried," he explained, motioning at his clearly twisted ankle, "And since you're clearly not keen on leaving; how about we share?"

"Share?" Mal narrowed her eyes, the word unfamiliar, "_Share_ what?"

"This spot," Harry teased, hobbling over to a rounded boulder to sit on, "Our own little spot, y'know? We can tell our children all about it when we're older; how we met, despite our parents differences."

"You wish," Mal scoffed, "My mother would sooner see you walk the plank."

"And my father would sooner be seen cursing kingdoms," Harry shrugged, a grin forming on his face, "Actually; I think I like you. I'd keep you around if I could. Well, if Uma allowed it."

"Your girlfriend?" Mal teased, finally lowering the dagger tentatively, "Villains don't date."

"She's my captain," Harry announced proudly, "I'm her first mate, you know."

"Should I be impressed?"

"Up to you," Harry shrugged, leaning back onto the boulder with his elbows, "So; what's your name?"

"You know my name," Mal narrowed her eyes, "What are you playing-"

"No," Harry cut her off, "I know you're Maleficent's daughter. I don't know _your _name. So, what is it?"

Mal was at loss for words, but only for a moment. No one had asked about _her_ name. They always whispered about 'Maleficent's daughter', never about Mal.

"Mal," Mal replied shortly, "And you're Harry."

"Just Mal and Harry, Harry and Mal," Harry repeated, a grin growing on his face, "I can tell that this is the start of a _beautiful_ friendship Mal."

Mal scoffed, "Villains don't do friendships. _I _don't do friendships."

"And what a sad little life you must lead," Harry shrugged, "I mean, you're alone on the side of a cliff, so I shouldn't expect any different really."

"I'm leaving," Mal announced, briskly turning her nose to Harry and storming away like the eleven year-old she was, "Good luck hobbling back to your lousy pirate ship."

"See you tomorrow then, Mally!" Harry called back as Mal began storming through the forest expertly. And really, although he was a pain, Mal felt a small smile trickle on her face (only a small one, mind you).

Harry never showed up to The Cliff again. Granted, Mal didn't either. The spot was tarnished now, despite the fact that she'd enjoyed having someone's company, despite the nature of their animosity. She didn't _need_ anyone, but she wasn't opposed to talking to people once in a while. Not necessarily. The Cliff wasn't safe anymore, and so Mal strayed far from the shores of the Isle for many years, only returning when she _really _desperately needed somewhere to escape to. Harry, however, was never seen by The Cliff again.

In fact, the next time she saw Harry was a few good months later, after stealing a particularly witchy-looking candle from Jafar's store. He was in the marketplace, a shiny new hook on his left hand and a slightly more maniacal grin on his face. Mal shuddered at the sight, and before she was seen, escaped back to her house.

Something about Harry unsettled her. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and she knew that in another world and in another time, what she felt would mostly be considered a crush. But she was _Maleficent's daughter! _She didn't have time for crushes or love or whatever else the world wanted to throw at her. Instead, she sat in her room, lit the candle with the half-match she had left, and continued drawing landscapes of a different world.

Harry Hook could wait.

* * *

**A/N: Well hello! It's been a while, hasn't it?**

**I've always wanted to do a series of one-shots that took place before any of the films and didn't include any of the AKs, which reflected a slightly lighter side of the Isle life, and explained a few mini-adventures our favourite VKs went on. For example: How did Harry get his hook? Why does Mal draw? How did Jay and Carlos meet?**

**I know some of these things are answered in the books, but I decided to put my own spin on these storylines based on the world that the films have created, rather than the books. There will still be elements of the book in these one-shots, and I hope to keep these stories light-hearted and enjoyable. Having said this; I've also decided to name each chapter after a book and/or film (congratulations if you can reference all of them!) **

**PROMPTS ARE ALWAYS OPEN! If you have any ideas, please _please _leave them in the reviews.**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it xx**


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